That concludes our live blogging for Saturday, July 26. Find our continuing coverage of Ukraine and our entire broadcast area HERE.
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service quotes Ukrainian military authorities saying their forces will not fire on or bomb Donetsk, although they have noted that they have a "direct route open" from Horlivka to that separatist stronghold:
I had been avoiding citing this grisly incident because it seemed gratuitous, but now it appears I have to chronicle it.
CNN confirms earlier reports the release of its local assistant, Anton Skiba:
Kremlin-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who was added this week to the EU's sanctions targets, announced flippantly via Instagram that he was creating his own "sanctions list" that would include U.S. President Barack Obama, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherin Ashton, [and] European Parliament President Martin Schulz. I have asked them" -- he said, presumably of Chechen authorities -- "to freeze the bank accounts and assets of all kinds. From July 27 the listed politicians are denied entry to the Chechen Republic."
From AP:
Ukrainian officials said their forces advanced to the outskirts of a key town north of Donetsk on Saturday in hopes of retaking the stronghold held for months by pro-Russia rebels.
The move comes as Ukrainian forces appear to have gained some momentum recently by retaking control of territory from the rebels. But Russia also appears to becoming more involved in the fighting, with the U.S. and Ukraine accusing Moscow of moving heavily artillery across the border to the rebels.
Ukrainian national security spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Ukrainian forces were outside Horlikva, just north of the regional center of Donetsk.
"The direct route is open for the forces of the anti-terrorist operation to the capital of the Donbass region — the city of Donetsk," Lysenko said.